Now into midwinter, the menswear scene in San Francisco could be forgiven for hitting a bit of a lull. The sales racks are picked near clean by the carrion dogs of deep discounts, and though spring gear is starting to bud in some local shops, it's yet to fully bloom.

But life persists, in the form of a niche-y new shop in the Mission, two local brands that have launched in the last month, and the relocation of the tweedy stalwart Cable Car Clothiers.

Let's start with the newcomers. After 4 1/2 years of peddling Japanese-inflected street wear, the San Jose shop Purist has shuttered its Silicon Valley location and hung out its shingle at 3647 23rd St. (between Guerrero and Fair Oaks) in the Mission. Though owner Kevin Lee conceded that he might have preferred a spot on buzzing Valencia Street, "off the beaten path works for us. People who like these brands really get into it" and relish the hunt.

"These brands" include a pair of haute-street standbys - Fred Perry and the Play line from Comme des Garcons - as well as a handful of Japanese brands you're unlikely to find anywhere else in town, like Original Fake, Bedwin and the Heartbreakers, and NexusVII. When you pop into Purist, bring your wallet - a pair of Gore-Tex-reinforced jeans from Bedwin runs $500, Japanese-made Oxford shirts from Original Fake go for $350, and a pair of handsome brogued boots from Tricker's go for $580.

Bayard Winthrop, former head of the San Francisco bag maker Chrome, is just as concerned with his garments' provenance authenticity as Lee is. Winthrop's new venture, American Giant, launched at the beginning of this month, is a sold-online-only company, and its initial public offering, a sturdy range of sweatshirts, is made close to home indeed: Brisbane.

"Over the last 30 years American consumers have been forced to compromise if they chose to buy American," said Winthrop, "either by tolerating a higher price, poorer quality or both. We believe that's a false choice."

By eschewing brick-and-mortar retail and the incremental markups of lengthy supply chains, Winthrop hopes to offset the enhanced cost of local manufacturing to bring his hardy basics to the consumer at a fair price. His crewneck sweatshirts, which have a trim fit and a heavy fabric, clock in at $59. The more fashion-forward snap cardigans, which have something of a varsity-jacket flavor, cost $89.

Should that be too rich for your blood, a new socks company aims to combat dull ankles for just $15 a pop. Argoz debuted at the end of January and looks to fill a typically drab corner in a gent's underwear drawer.

By committing exclusively to argyle - their patterns range from barkingly loud to merely ostentatious - Argoz doesn't offer much variety. But what it lacks in reach, it makes up for in punch. Their cleverest idea by far is their Stevens pairing, a duo of mismatched socks drawing on the same color palette. Though you won't get true uniformity from a pair of Stevens, your outfit will certainly benefit from a bit of rakish swagger thanks to these showy hose.

The final item on the docket, and your best bet for spring-long savings, is Cable Car Clothiers. The hoary gents' shop is moving, and until it does, everything in stock is 30 percent off. New president Jonathan Levin - grandson of Cable Car founder and all-around mensch Charlie Pivnick - says that he hopes to be installed at 110 Sutter St., right next to the Hound, by summer 2012. The new location will come with a barbershop as well as a slight shift in focus: "We're going to reinvent the shop for a newer generation while still holding on to our sense of tradition."

If there's any tradition worth holding onto as we trek toward March and April, it's a long-standing sale on quality British goods.